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Loon Ergo fly-tying tools
Good fly-tying tools are hard to find. Often, you get exactly what you pay for. Scissors that fall apart or quickly dull. Bobbins that slice thin thread in the middle of a pattern. You know, predictably cheap stuff. But not Loon Outdoors products. I've been using Loon tying tools for a couple of years now,…
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Dark-water denizens
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New license plate means happy trout in South Carolina
Nov. 12, 2019, will go down as a historic day for coldwater conservation in South Carolina. After a monumental effort by the Mountain Bridge, Saluda River and Chattooga River Chapters, a brand-new South Carolina Trout Unlimited license plate was unveiled. Designed by homegrown artist, Jay Talbot of Columbia, S.C., the tag features a striking native…
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Making your own hackle-folding tool
Tying in hackle that faces rearward can be a bit tricky at times, particularly if you're using small hackle and small hooks. But, for some patterns—many small soft-hackle recipes come to mind immediately—this is a necessary step in tying the fly. https://youtu.be/XNvXP0bIgL0 Above, Tim Flagler shares a great tip for crafting a tool that will…
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Fishing for recovery and love
I’m certain there’s nothing glamorous nor fun about breaking your knee. Yes, your knee. In college, I shattered my knee (tibial plateau) while skiing in Canada. After two major surgeries, I was on the slow road to recovery, which meant getting super buff crutching across campus (and dealing with thick, nasty callouses on my palms),…
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How to get a stuck fly rod apart
Sometimes, it's the simple things that cause us the most grief. Hooks stuck in our fingers, past the barb. A poorly tied knot that breaks on a nice fish. Or a fly rod that, try as you might, simply won't come apart at the end of the day. Above, my friend Chris Walker, who designs…
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We fish here so you can fish there
“We fish here so you can fish there.” So read the note that I sent to all of TU’s staff on Christmas Eve several years ago. The note included two photographs. One showed my colleague, Keith Curley, standing on a shopping cart and casting into a tributary of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.; another…